Public comments canceled at Pocatello City Council meetings going forward
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POCATELLO — The public comments portion of Pocatello City Council meetings — one of the few opportunities residents have to voice matters of concern with city leadership in a public forum — has been removed from future meetings.
The “items from the audience” item last appeared on the council agenda on Jan. 5. According to that agenda, the item allotted 15 minutes — with no single speaker receiving more than three minutes — for residents to comment on any item not included in other sections of that meeting’s agenda.
However, the council was “not allowed to take any official action at this meeting on matters brought forward under this agenda item.”
That, Mayor Brian Blad suggested, in a statement provided to EastIdahoNews.com by the city, is what created an issue.
“Since the City Council and I cannot respond to items brought forward from this 15-minute item on a City Council agenda, I felt it best to remove the item,” Blad’s statement says. “Citizens have many options to engage with our City Council members and with me. You are always welcome to call us, to email us, or to schedule appointments with us. This way, we can take time to thoroughly discuss any great ideas, concerns or requests you may have.”
According to city spokeswoman Marlise Irby, the decision to remove “items from the audience” from council agendas is permanent.
Irby said Blad consulted the city’s legal department and the council before making the decision to cancel the items from the audience portion of the meeting, but that the decision was Blad’s alone.
Pocatello For Accountable Government Entities, a government watchdog organization in the Gate City, provided a statement to EastIdahoNews.com.
“Public comment is a basic principle of representative democracy and is critical for bringing about accountability within government,” the statement reads in part. “There is no justifiable reason for its elimination.”
According to P.A.G.E., this is the second time Blad has attempted to remove the public forum from city council meetings. The first time was during the COVID shutdown when Blad was unwilling to find “workarounds” to allow for public comments like other cities.
“Removal of public comment only serves to silence dissenting or alternative views, control information, and aids in hiding the concerns/issues being brought to the Mayor and Council’s attention,” the P.A.G.E. statement says. “P.A.G.E. strongly denounces this decision and encourages the Mayor and Council to restore public comment.”
The Pocatello City Council has a meeting scheduled for Thursday, at 6 p.m.